Description: Manhattan Federal Judge, Richard Berman, has denied the US Department of Justice (DOJ) request to release transcripts from a grand jury testimony regarding the trial that indicted the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Judge explained that the real evidence disclosure still pertains to the government as the grand jury transcripts were comprised of a Power Point presentation and testimony from a single FBI agent which has been mostly deemed as hearsay and that it endangered the safety, security and privacy of Epstein’s victims. Berman further stated that the treasure trove of documents related to the Epstein investigation is held by the DOJ and the 70 – page transcripts’ importance was meaningless in comparison to the numerous evidence contained in the other documents. Previously a Florida Federal Judge also refused to release grand jury transcripts further pressuring the DOJ into disclosing the entire controversial investigation into the public.
Impact: Local federal courts have resisted the political pressure from the Trump administration to distract the public with refutable information regarding the Epstein files. Trump has come under scrutiny from its political base as well as political opponents over his previous affiliations with Epstein and his pledges to release the full documentation of the investigation which ended with Epstein’s controversial suicide in 2019. The continuation of the media fueled controversies connecting Trump and Epstein would eventually negatively impact the Trump administration and create further divisions within Trump’s political camp. The Epstein files have been the main subject of public upheaval degrading the credibility and integrity of the entire ruling government which would significantly impact Trump’s standing as President and lower the Republican party’s chances in the upcoming midterm elections, reducing the conservative grip on the US political landscape.